Month: January 2016

Marvel works hard to take over every traditional medium. There’s a stark difference between their Netflix and regular cable work. Daredevil was alright, Jessica Jones was quite alright. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D was so bad that it put me off trying the other main cable show Agent Carter for little less than a year.

Agent Carter is Peggy Carter, Captain America’s love interest in his first movie. This means the show is set close after the Second World War, and the times’ sexism is a large part of the villains offered. For the rest there’s the plot: Howard Stark needs his name cleared, a load of (nameless) bad guys are stealing his stuff and Stark’s butler – Jarvis – helps Carter out and offers comic relief.

It’s breezy, silly fun, but the biggest difference with those other agents is that nothing feels like cardboard. The actors try, the actors have fun. And with (just) eight episodes, it’s easy to join in.

There was harsh gale blowing on the night Yarvi learned he was a king.

Like with Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie is one of those fantasy writers I’ll always try a book from. Even when I know that they’re seemingly unable to write solo books, ending up in me having to wait for the next (and the next) book. At least Abercrombie sticks to trilogies (for now?).

Main character Yarvi is a cripple, a failure, no matter how royal his blood is. The only reason that he still becomes king is because he’s next in line. But in the harsh world of Joe Abercrombie’s books nothing stays good and whole for a long time, and Yarvi has to go on a mental and physical trip to reclaim his place in the world.

As always, it’s a quick, appealing read that leads past strange characters and surroundings. The only thing that is keeping me from immediately picking up book two and three (Abercrombie published these series in a year and a half) are the absolutely great reviews for the second book and the terrible ones for the third. Will I manage to give up on the story before the end? Until then, Half A King is a proper Joe Abercrombie story for your less-than-fresh fantasy needs.

After reading Habibi, I was eager for more illustrated stories. This, a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Tinderbox, wasn’t in the same league.

First of all, the lines felt very stilted. Maybe it’s to create a certain atmosphere, but it makes it harder to get into the story. This does make it feel a little like you have found a story, instead of picked a book from the library.

It honestly didn’t leave any mark on me. I remember some of the drawings, but I only remember the bare bones of the plot. It feels like someone had to summarize a short animated movie, and did so, feeling like they had to put down every detail.

Potential, but not enough. Maybe something for someone who loves fairy tales in any shape or form.

It’s always a risk to accept a recommendation from someone you don’t know their reading history of. But curiosity is a powerful thing.

Simon is gay and nobody knows, except for an e-mail contact. And except for Martin, who discovers the e-mails and starts to, awkwardly, sloppily, blackmail him.

The reader reads about Simon’s thoughts, daily lives and his e-mails with Blue. He’s a very put together teen, with insights that sometimes made me wonder if teenagers can come up with them. On the other hand there are plenty of fears and doubts and cock ups that will probably cause you secondhand embarrassment (because of how recognizable it is).

It’s nothing mind blowing, and for someone that gets some subjects very right (privilege, trans* people), there is the same time a bothersome misogyny that the author could have prevented. YA that’s best for teenagers, who still have to learn.